Reginald belfield



(No Model.)

R. BELPIELD.

LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

No. 404,154. Patented May 28, 1889.

WITNESBEfi 4 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EGINALD BELFIEI/D, OF PIESBIIRG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE \VES'LINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LlGHTNlNG-ARRESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,154, dated May .28, 1889.

Application filed October 14, 1887. Serial No. 252,290. (No model.)

To (all (1171 0717 if; 7271/1 concern:

Be it. known that I, REGINALD BELEIELD, a subject ot the Queen of Great Britain, rosiding in littsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lightning-Arresters, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates tothe class 0t devices employed for providing against injury to electrical instruments and apparatus by lightning-diseharges.

The objectof the invention. is to provide means whereby the lightning may escape to the earth from the conductors of an electrical system, and, having escaped, that the currents normally traversing the conductors shall. not themselves flow to the earth over the circuit established by the lightning.

In certain classes of eleetricalcircuitssueh, for instance, as electric-lighting systems in which currents of high potential are employed, it is found that after an arc has been once established across the ordinary form of lightning-arrcster the conductivity of the fumes or the vaporof the highly-heated metal is su llicient to maintain a circuit to the earth for the currents normally employed in. operating the system. In other words, an arc having been established by thelightning the normal currents are of sul'iieient potential to maintain the arc.

The invention consists, in general terms, in constructing a lightning-arrester for electric circuits with two pairs or sets of discharge-poin ts, one of said. pairs being separable, together with an electn'o-magnet or other device for separating the latter pair, which magnet is included in a shunt-circuit around the other pair, and in adapting various parts of the apparatus in special manners, as will be hereinafter pointed out, for the work to be done.

In the accompanyingdrawing there is illustrated an organization of apparatus for carrying out the invention.

Referring to the figure, A represents a source of electric currents such, for-instance, as an alternate current electric machine delivering currents upon a circuit, Ii IF. The

conductors I] I may be each provided with circuit-controllers orlightning-arresters, such as is shown in connection with the conductor Ii. A conductor, Z,leads From the conductor I. to a binding-post, l3. This in turn is conneeted by a conductor, 1, with a plate, having teeth r, in the manner of the usual lightning-arre The teeth c project toward the teeth of a second plate, The plate U is connected by a conductor, 2, with the binding-post B which in turn is connected by a comluctor, t, with a toothed lever, I)

It is designed that a lightn'ing-diseharge, passing across the plates C and C to the lever I) shall pass from the teeth or dischargepoints of this lever to the corresponding teeth of a lever, D The lever l) is connected by a conductor, l, with a binding-post, 3, and this in turn is connected with the earth at- E.

Now it will be evident that'a lightning-discharge striking the conductor I/ will have a path to the earth across the lightning-arrcsters G C and DD? \Yhen, however, arcs have been thus established between the plates C C and I) D the currents from the machineA would be liable to continue to pass to the earth through the same path. It is necessary, therefore, that this circuit be interrupted completely immediatel after the passage of the lightning. For this reason the levers I) and .l) are pivoted respectively at points (1 (Z and are capable of being thrown awaylfrom each other into the position shown in the full lines. This is done by the movement of a core, passing within a solenoid, I For this purpose the respective ends of the core f are pivoted to the short arms (Z and d" of the levers I) and D An adjustable spring, (Z maybe employed for giving the proper tension and support to the core.

. The solenoid I is designed to be traversed by electric currents at the proper moment. for withdrawing the levers IX and D from each other. For this purpose a conductor, 5, leads from the conductor 1 to one terminal of the solenoid and the condueto r 6 leads from the other terminal to the conductor In other words, the solenoid is included in a shunt-circuit around the lightiiii'ig-arrester (3 and A lightningaliseharge will lind its path to the earth across trom thc plates 4) (1' rather than through the coil 1 and therefore the core f will not be drawn inward by the discharge, but the current supplied to the line L from the generator will find a more ready path to the earth through the coils of the solenoid, and this will cause the core f to be drawn inward. The currents, therefore, will at first traverse the coils F and the levers D D but as the core is drawn farther in the levers are separated from each other until the distance between them is such asto insure acomplete interruption of the arc. Then this has been accomplished, the apparatus will return to its normal position.

The parts are so arranged that when the levers D D are at rest they will be separated from each other by only a very short distancesay one-sixteenth of an inchthough this distance may be varied. When they are moved away from each other, they still remain parallel with each other, so that the current is evenly distributed along their lengths.

Iclaim as my invention 1. A lightning-arrester for electric circuits, consisting of two pairs or sets of dischargepoints, one of said pairs being separable, and an electro-magnetic device for separating the latter included in a shunt-circuit around the other pair, substantially as described.

2. A lightning-arrester for electric circuits, consisting of two sets of discharge-points, a solenoid in a shunt-circuit around one of said sets, a core or armature applied to said solenoid and acted upon thereby, and connections between said core or armature and one of said sets of discharge-points, whereby the movement of the core or armature toward the solenoid will cause the points to separate.

3. A lightning-arrester consisting of asolenoid, a set of separable discharge-points in circuit therewith, an armature or core applied to the solenoid and connected with said discharge-points, whereby the latter are separated by the movement of the core consequent upon the vitalization of the solenoid and a high -resistance, circuit around the solenoid.

4. In a lightning-arrester, the combination of the coil F, the core or armature f applied thereto, the movable levers D and D respectively pivot-ed to the respective ends of said core or extensions thereof, said levers having discharge-points normally confronting each other, and electric connections between said discharge-points and said coil whereby electric currents traversing the discharge-points traverse also said coil, substantially as described.

5. In a lightning-arrester, discharge-points movable with reference to each other, an electro-magnetic device for operating the same, consisting of a solenoid and a core movable therein under the influence of currents continuously escaping through the lightning-arrester, and levers connecting the core with the respective discharge-points, the pivotal points of the respective levers being between the core and discharge-points, whereby the core serves as a weightacting in opposition to the effects of such currents and operating to return the points to their normal position when the currents cease.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this lOth day of October, A. D. 1887.

REGINALD BELFIELD.

WVitnesscs:

DANL. W. EDGECOMB, CHARLES A. TERRY. 

